Report on the development of the social situation in the Communities in 1975

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EUROPEAN COAL AND STEEL COMMUNITY EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY EUROPEAN ATOMIC ENERGY COMMUNITY

COMMISSION

Report on the Development

of the Social Situation

in the Communities in 1975

(Published in conjunction with the

'Ninth General Report

on the Activities

of the European Communities'

in accordance with Article 122

of the EEC Treaty)

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This Social Report is published in six languages: Danish, German, English, French, Italian and Dutch.

Date of completion of manuscript: 30 January 1976

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A - Political introduction

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1. The general economic and social situation of .1975 was characterized by rising unemployment and a level of inflation in nearly all Member States that, although lower than in 1974, continued to give rise to serious concern. By the end of 1975 total unemployment in the countries of the European Communities had reached a level of about five and a half million and consumer prices by the Autumn of 1975 were rising on average by about 12.5% compared with 16% in the previous year.

2. The difficulties in the employment market were made more serious due to the fact that specific groups of people such as young workers or migrant workers were primarily affected. It is estimated that one and a half million of the Com-munity unemployed were young workers, many of whom were school leavers and university graduates seeking employment for the first time. As for migrants, the poor economic situation forced many to return to their countries of origin although it was encouraging to note that such emigration did not assume the proportions that might have been expected in view of the overall. deterioration in employment opportunities.

3. Whilst the solution to the problems of unemployment ;;tnd inflation are matters more effectively dealt with by actions taken by Member States themselves,

the Community, despite all the difficulties and financial constraints, continued

to make a significant contribution towards social progress. During 1975 much was achieved in the social field to ensure lasting improvements in living and working conditions for many of the Community's citizens. In particular, and of fundamental importance to the millions of women in the Community, one notes the adoption during the year of a Directive aimed at the equality of treatment of men and women workers as regards employment, training and promotion, and in the case of migrant workers the adoption of a positive Council Resolution providing for progressive development of specific actions to improve the situation of migrant workers and their families.

4. These specific measures outlined above were among the priorities set out in the Council's own Resolution for a Social Action Programme adopted on 21 January 1974 and for which the Commission during 1975 was engaged in submitting the remaining tasks set out in that Resolution. To this end a number of specific proposals were adopted by the Council at meetings of Social and Labour Ministers in June and December 1975.

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8 A - POLITICAL INTRODUCTION

5. At its meeting held on 17 June 1975 the Council gave its approval to:

(a) a Council Decision concerning the programme of pilot schemes and studies to combat poverty,

(b) a Recommendation regarding the application of the principle of the 40-hour week and four weeks annual paid holiday,

(c) the Decision on intervention of the European Social Fund to promote employ-ment and the geographical and vocational mobility of young people under 25 years who are unemployed or seeking employment for the first time.

6. Concerning the programme to combat poverty, the Council agteed to allocate 2.5 million u.a. and 2.875 million u.a. for 1975 and 1976 respectively. It was agreed that the selection of projects would be left to the Commiso:;ion in accordance with the following criteria: they must test out new methods of combating existing or potential poverty; they must, where possible, be drawn up and implemented in collaboration with persons served by the schemes themselves; and finally they must be of interest to the Community as a whole by having a pioneering aspect capable of informing the Community about future policy.

Improving the conditions in which people work was the objective of the Recom-mendation regarding the application of the principle of the 40-hour week and 4 weeks annual paid holiday. The Commission had originally proposed that the 40-hour week could be achieved by the end of 1975 and the 4 weeks holiday by the end of 1976. The Council, however, decided that the deadline for both objectives should be no later than 31 December 1978.

Whilst the timetable is slower than that envisaged by the Commission, the adoption of the Recommendation does underline that there is a political will towards establishing the forty-hour week and the four weeks annual paid holiday as minimum standards throughout the Community during the second half of the nineteen seventies.

7. The Council also gave the green light to the Commission's work programme in the field of employment and urged the further development of coordination at a Community level. This work will contribute to the eventual development of a Community-wide employment policy.

The Commission also submitted a practical proposal aimed at improving the opportunities for employment of people affected by the deteriorating economic situation. It proposed that Article· 4 of the European Social Fund should be extended to schemes to facilitate not only the geographical and vocational mobility of people who are or have been employed in sectors and regions particularly

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SOCIAL ACTION PROGRAMME 1974-1976 9

affected by the recession but also any young workers under the age of twenty five who because of inadequate vocational training are unable to obtain suitable employment_

Although the Council agreed that the Social Fund would be extended to cover training schemes for young workers and particularly young people seeking employ-ment for the first time, it was unabie to decide on how the Social Fund could be used to meet the problems of regions and industrial sectors affected by the recession_ This matter was taken up again at the Council in December_

8. At its meeting of 18 December 1975 the Council adopted a further group of Commission proposals, the most important of which were:

(a) A Directive on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion and working conditions.

(b) A Resolution concerning an action programme for migrant workers and their families.

(c) A Decision on action by the European Social Fund to help those employed in the textile and clothing industries.

9. The vitally important provisions of the Directive on the equality of treatment are that sex discrimination in both national laws and regulations as well as collective and individual agreements must be eliminated as regards employment and working conditions. Furthermore in order to ensure that women are able to obtain these rights in practice, means are provided for a woman who considers that she has been the object of discrimination based on sex, matrimonial or family status to enforce her rights in national courts and, where necessary, the Court of Justice of the European Communities.

Whilst this Directive can be considered as the Community's contribution to 'International Women's Year', it is in fact one of a series of measures envisaged in the Community's Social Action Programme aimed at establishing real equality for women throughout the Community. Thus it complements the Directive on

Equal Pay adopted by the Council in 1974-1

Principles of equal treatment were also taken up on behalf of migrant workers and their families when the Council adopted a positive Resolution expressing the political will to ensure by progressive stages specific actions to improve their situation.

1 Social Report 1974, point 4.

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10 A - POLITICAL INTRODUCTION

One of these measures was, in fact, adopted by the December Council itself, namely a Community Regulation providing for freedom of trade union rights throughout the Community for citizens of the Member States. But others envisaged in the course of 1976 include steps to eliminate 'illegal' immigration and abuses by employers of the employment rights of migrants, coordination of Member States' migration policies and facilities that will pr.omote their social and occupational well-being, irrespective of whether they are Community citizens or nationals from Third countries.

10. The Council took up again the whole question of how the Social Fund would intervene to assist both the crisis-hit industrial sectors and regions affected by high unemployment. The Commission's modified proposal, however, failed to bridge the wide divergences of approach expressed by Member States. The Council did nevertheless agree to prolong the period of validity of the Council Decision concerning Social Fund assistance for workers in the Textile industry and to extend this Decision to cover the Clothing industry which is experiencing difficulties of structural adaptation.

11. Since questions concerning employment continued to be the focal point of interest during 1975, it was on(y natural that the Standing Committee on Employment which was re-activated by the Tripartite Conference of December 1974 should be convened several times during the year.

Meetings were held in February, June and December at which major issues for social policy drawn up by the Commission were discussed. A number of these proposals, as previously mentioned, were subsequently adopted by the Council whilst others will form the basis of concrete proposals during 1976.

12. As the economic situation throughout the Community continued to worsen it became clear that positive efforts in the social field by themselves were insuf-ficient in providing solutions. It has always been the Commission's view that social policy should not be limited solely to those areas that are specifically social but should include the social aspects of other Community policies. In a similar way, Member States in their search for solutions to the·present economic difficulties must recognize the need for concerted action by those responsible for social and economic policy.

This idea was taken up repeatedly by the representatives of the European Trade Unions at the Tripartite Conference in December 1974 in the call for a joint economic and social conference at which both sides of industry could discuss the problems of unemployment with both Ministers for Labour and Economic and Financial Affairs as well as with the Commission.

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SOCIAL ACTION PROGRAMME 1974-1976 l l

13. The idea of holding such a conference was agreed by the European Council in July 1975 and a meeting took place in Brussels on 18 November 1975. This meeting, the first of its kind, provided a full exchange of views between Govern-ments- representend by both Economic and Finance Ministers as well as Employ-ment Ministers - the Commission and both sides of industry on the economic and social situation.

This conference reflected the great convergence of opinions that emerged regarding the measures to be taken to combat the crisis. It was agreed that the Commission would examine the views expressed and that another similar conference should be organized in 1976.

14. During 1976 the Commission ·will complete the remazmng tasks envisaged by the Social Action Programme and as appropri;{te draw up complementary measures designed to expand areas of social progress. These measures include:

(a) in the field of employment, the Commission will continue to collect and develop current data and analyse problems occurring in the present economic situation, particularly in the context of the programme of labour market studies. The cooperation between employment services will be developed, mainly as regards regular meetings of the Directors-General for Employment. In this context, the Commission's support action to national services will continue, particularly for problems of re-training and employment prospects for migrant workers. Lastly, a report will be drawn up by a group of independent experts to pinpoint the main problems of employment over the next few years to assist the Com-mission in planning future action.

As regards vocational training, the Commission intends to submit in 1976 recommendations aimed at encouraging the development of further practical vocational training for young people looking for work and on vocational training for women workers.

(b) As regards freedom of movement for workers, the Commission will propose measures to be adopted to combat illegal immigration. Other proposals expected to be brought forward this year in implementation of the migrants action programme will be (i) the concertation of migration policies of Member States and (ii) the participation of migrants in local community life.

The question of social security for Turkish workers will continue to occupy the Commission's attention this year. The Commission has also begun the necessary work preparatory to the implementation of the provisions of the Protocol to the Association Agreement with Turkey relating to freedom

of movement of migrant workers. .

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12 A - POLFfiCAL INTRODUCTION

(c) The Social Fund will continue - where appropriate in close cooperation with other Community financial instruments and particularly with the Regional Fund - to take action on behalf of training and mobility of workers in all the fields which have been opened to it: unemployment and under-employment in developing regions; farmers leaving the land; workers in the textile and clothing industry requiring re-training; persons affected by- difficulties· in certain groups of undertakings; adjustment of workers to technical progress; migrant workers; the handicapped; unemployed persons aged under 25. The latter action for young people, started in the last months of 1975, will be consolidated and organized on a more selective basis. Furthermore, the Commission intends to begin immediately the preparatory work necessary for the revision of the Decision of 1 February 1971 on the reform of the European Social Fund by the CounciL

(d) As regards worker participation in the decision-making process of the under-taking, the Commission will pursue its work this year on the •European Company'statute and the harmoniza6on of the structures of limited companies.

The Commission is currently examining the possibility of requiring all multi-national companies to inform regularly all representatives of workers in their subsidiaries of the economic and social situation of the company.

(e) In the field of living and working conditions, the Commission plans to take new specific action in the following sectors:

It will prepare a survey on the existing systems of encouragement of personal asset formation by workers. A study on the lowest salaries in the Community will also be drawn up.

Furthermore, the Commission will consider the extension of social protection, particularly in the context of social security, to categories of persons not covered or insufficiently covered, and will submit proposals aimed at the gradual achievement of equality of treatment between men and women in social security.

The first European Social Budget (1970-75), presented to the Council in December 1974 and revised at the latter's request, will be available early in 1976; preparatory work for a second budget will begin.

Moreover, during this year, the Commission will be evaluating the progress of the poverty programme and considering future developments in this field.

(f) The conclusions of a report on the situation of workers in the case of individual redundancies will be examined with the representatives of both sides of industry, with a view to submitting proposals to the· Council in this field.

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SOCIAL ACTION PROGRAMME 1974·1976 13

In the course of the year, the Commission will also draw up a long-term programme for the social rehabilitation of the handicapped, which will be forwarded to the CounciL

The Commission report on the humanization of work will be submitted to the Council early in 1976. The problem will then be studied in conjunction with the European Foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions.

(g) As regards health protection the Commission has undertaken a study on the radiological effect of nuclear expansion, paying particular attention to radio-active pollution of the Rhine, the Meuse and coastal waters, and the risks to which the population would be exposed.

In addition, a number of studies and proposals are in hand on the drawing up of common criteria for 'harmfulness' and also for health protection standards where the major environmental pollutants are concerned.

The Commission will also propose an action programme on safety, hygiene and

health protection at war!~ on the basis of 'guidelines' drawn up in 1975. Following

work started at the time of the setting up of the Advisory Committee with responsibility in these fields, it will propose measures to remove the dangers inherent in some manufacturing processes in the chemical industry.

(h) Pursuant to the conclusions of the 1972 Paris Summit, the Commission intends to develop the active participation of both sides of industry in the formulation of Community policies. In this respect, it envisages aid to worker organizations with a view to the creation of a European trade union Institute and, at the same time, it plans to develop its relations with both sides of industry in various sectors with a view, on the one hand, to joint consultations on common and Community policies and, on the other, to a greater number of joint meetings in the major economic sectors.

15. The events of 1974 and 1975 have shown the importance of a reciprocal coordination of Community measures in the various sectors. Only via the best possible coordination of the instruments and financial means available to the Community will it be possible to achieve effective and successful implementation of the objectives of social policy which the Commission set itself in the Social Action Programme and which the Council approved by its Resolution of 21 January 1974 on this programme.

SOCIAL REP. 1975

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B -

Outline of activities

by

the institutions

of the European Communities in the

social field in 1975

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Main developments

16. Despite the difficult economic situation, work in the field of social policy continued

to make steadi progress during 1975.1 _·

The Commission was engaged in following up the remaining tasks set by the Council's Resolution concerning a Social Action Programme. At Council meetings of Social

Ministers on 17 June and 18 December approval was given to a series of Commission

proposals, including a number implementing priorities set in this Resolution. These covered a wide range of actions aimed at improving the employment situation and working conditions of the less privileged citizens of the Community. Perhaps the most significant measure adopted was the Directive on equal treatment for men and women workers. This Directive will make an important contribution to giving women workers in the Member States equal rights in access to employment, vocational training and . promotion. The Council also adopted a Resolution concerning a programme for migrant workers and Decisions on assistance from the European Social Fund to help young workers in obtaining better fobs.

Tackling the employment difficulties of 1975 was principally a. matter for the Member

States themselves, but the Community institutions and the two sides of industry at European level also helped to find a solution.

As regards the participation of labour and management in Community decisions on economic and social matters, a major contribution was made by the relaunching during the year of the Standing Committee on Employment, which met in February, June and December, and the special Tripartite Conference which was held in November and was attended by the Ministers for Economic Affairs and Fina1ice as well as the Ministers for Social Affairs. This conference served to emphasize the fundamental importance of economic and monetary policy in solving the problem of unemployment. ·

Employment

17. The trend in the employment situation was marked by a considerable decline which reflected, with a time-lag of several months, the deterioration m the eco-nomic situation.

1 _{Eighth General Report, Annexed Memorandum, points 53 to 57.}

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18 B - OUTLINE SURVEY

\Vhile this trend varied considerably between individual branches of the economy it affected all regions of the Community and all categories of workers, in particular young people, especially those seeking work for the first time. Concern with the situation caused the Commission to introduce various measures.

The Standing Committee on Employment resumed its activities on 17 February after a two-year interval, on the basis of guidelines laid down by the tripartite conference held in December 1974. The Committee decided to concentrate on problems concerning the employment of young workers, on migrant workers, on the coordination of employment policies and on the development of meetings between branches of industry.

An economic conference was held on 18 November between the two sides of industry and the Ministers for Finance, Economic Affairs and Employment.

For the first time since the Community was set up, employment problems did not merely involve the correction of localized structural imbalances against a general background of full employment. There was now an overall deterioration that had to be alleviated, without excluding the risks of unemployment which, while dim-inishing, might continue to persist after the anticipated revival. Against such a background the scope for Community action was restricted. Recovery programmes, even when well coordinated, would come into conflict with the narrow restrictions imposed by the economic situation; by its very nature the main direct Community instrument as regards employment, the European Social Fund, was and continues to be centred upon aid for training and mobility. Taking these restrictions into account the Commission continued with work already begun, adapting it to cir-cumstances. On the other hand, in spite of the considerable problems involved, the Commission initiated new measures.

Action concerning the labour market proper

18. Special efforts were made to monitor employment trends. Monitoring of the economic situation was considerably improved, in close liaison with the Statistical Office of the European Communities (SOEC), with particular reference to the requirements of the Social Fund. The impetus given last year to the work on short-and medium-term forecasts in close contact with the Member States had had to be slowed down somewhat under the pressure of immediate tasks. The machinery for coordinating national employment policies has been gradually established. In future the Commission will organize meetings of Directors-General for Employ-ment two or three times per year in order to give them the opportunity of exchanging views on the employment situation, the measures taken in each country, and the aims and priorities of Community action in this field.

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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMUNITIES IN 1975 19

19. In the Communication which it submitted to the Council in connection with the Social Action Programme the Commission proposed three priorities for the coordination of employment policies: the identification of problems and priorities in the Member States; specific action on behalf of certain categories of workers; consideration and action as regards the instruments of employment policy (employ-ment offices, the relationship between training and employ(employ-ment, protection and mobility of employment).

A continuous review of measures taken in the Member States to deal with unemploy-ment is in course of preparation. In addition, work was mainly devoted to the relationship between training and employment: the development of the Social Fund makes it essential to improve criteria for deciding on applications. In this connec-tion the Commission is instituting a series of studies on the efficiency of Fund aids, concentrating on som,e of the bodies most frequently invQlved in applications.

Furthermore, in January the Commission organized a seminar in Manchester on the evaluation of methods and means of checking on the efficiency of training measures.

More general activities concerning employment

20. It was appropriate for the Community to make a substantial and practical contribution to International Women's Year. A seminar was organized in November on the Vocational Guidance and Training for Women W orkers.1

On 12 February the Commission adopted a communication and a proposal for a directive of the Council on implementation of the principle of equality of treatment between male and female workers (access to employment, to vocational training and promotion, and working conditions).2 _{The Parliament and the Economic and}

Social Committee gave favourable opinions on this proposal, The Council adopted the directive on 18 December.

The Commission has made its contribution to various measures undertaken by Member States and the two sides of industry on the occasion of International Women's Year. It has continued the preparatory work for the establishment of a documentation and information centre on female employment and has finished a study on the employment of women in the United Kingdom, in Ireland and. in Denmark following on from the study previously made for the other six Member States.

1 Point 29.

2 Bull. EC 2-1975, point 2209.

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21. At its February meeting, the Standing Committee on Employment stressed the problem ot the employment of young people.1 _{After undertaking a comprehensive}

study of this problem and a series of consultations, the Commission began work on implementation of the Council Decision extending the scope of the Social Fund to include operations concerning the employment of young people and on drawing up a recommendation on the development of practical vocational training measures.

22. More often than not, the most significant measures which the Community can undertake in order to influence employment trends are outside the scope of social policy as such, and it is thus essential that the employment aspects are taken into consideration in other Community policies. With this in mind, the Commission has emphasized a number of measures. The most obvious example is the meeting of sectoral groups where the two sides of industry examine with the Commission the main problems posed by developments in their own sector.

Less formally, the Commission is endeavouring to make systematic allowance for employment in its various policies.

In addition, an expert working group has been set up to examine the main problems posed by medium-term employment trends. Its work will supplement work already carried out by a group concerned with preparing medium-term forecasts on employment trends by sector and by qualification. These two groups will submit their reports in 1976. On 18 December the Council also adopted a regulation concerning the establishment of homogeneous statistics on foreign manpower.

European Social Fund

23. The appropriations for the new European Social Fund had been initially fixed at 355 million u.a. The Council, later agreed to the non-automatic carryover from 1974 to 1975 of 51.4 million u.a. to cover expenditure under Article 4. However, only 21 million of these were actually used for this purpose, the remainder being transferred to another chapter of the budget when the Council failed to agree on the new scope of Article 4 (restructuring operations linked to the recession).

The third report on the activities of the new Social Fund, covering 1974,2 _was

forwarded to the Council and to Parliament, in accordance with the decision setting up the Fund.

1 Points 23 and 29.

2 Bull. EC 7/8-1975, point 2227.

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TABLE 1

New Social Fund - 1975 Budgetl

(million u.a.)

Article 4

I

Article 5 Pilot schemes Total

Initial endowment

uo

245 0,9 355.9

Supplementary endowment 21.1 - - 21.1

131.1 245 0.9 377

1 _{The Fourth Annual Report on the new European Social Fund {1975), to be sent to the Council and Parliament}

on 1 January 1976 as required by the Fund's Rules, gives full information on:

- the value of applications for assistance under Article 4 (agriculture, textiles, migrant workers, handicapped and young persons) and Article 5 (assistance for declining regions, industries subject to the pressure of technical

progress and groups of undertakings in difficulty);

- the value of applications received and granted, broken down by country and category (Articles 4 and 5).

On 21 April 1975 the Commission presented to the Council a prop.osal on the introduction of a specific joint measure under Article 4 of the Council Decision of 1 February 1971 on the reform of the European Social Fund, in order to facilitate the necessary structural adaptations.1 _On_{22 July the Council}2 _{signified its approval}

for the extension, as a first step, of assistance from the Social Fund to cover young people under 25 years of age who are unemployed or seeking employment, and asked the Commission to submit a new proposal on th~ granting of assistance from the Fund to help persons employed in the sectors particularly affected by the employment imbalance resulting from the recession, with due regard to the regions most affected by employment difficulties. After discussing this new proposal3 _{without reaching agreement on 18 December tl:ie Council asked the}

Commission to examine the possibility of financing certain important operations in this field under Article 5, notably by means of transfers within the Fund's budget.

The Commission also presented to the Council a proposal4 _{for pt:Qlongation of the}

Decision of 19 December 1972 on assistance from the Fund under Article 4, for persons occupied in the textile industry, and to extend this to cover the clothing industry. The Council adopted this new decision on 18 December.

Bull. EC 4-1975, point 1106.

OJ L 199 of 30.7.1975 (Decision 74/459/EEC of 22.7.1975); Bull. EC 6-1975, points 2212 and 2424.

Bull. EC 10-1975, point 2213. Bull. EC 10-1975, point 2214.

[image:17.454.38.392.54.224.2]

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24. Pursuant to Article 7 of the Regulation implementing the Decision of 1 February 1971, the Commission has initiated a number of pilot schemes and studies mainly concerned with various aspects of vocational training: efficiency of aids, special needs of certain categories of persons, instructors, re-integration into employment of women aged over 35, and migrant workers. One such study concentrates more particularly on the analysis, notably for the sake of those promoting operations to be financed by the Social Fund, of financial and technical aid granted in the countries of the Community under existing vocational training systems.

25. The former Social Fund has continued its activities under Article 125 of the EEC Treaty, in accordance with the general implementing Regulation (EEC) No 2396/71.1 _{Assistance granted amounted to 4 895 385 u.a., and was allocated}

as shown in the following table:

Country

Belgium

FR of Germany

France

Italy

Luxembourg

Netherlands

TABLE 2

Old Fund - assistance granted in 1975

For retraining

2 865 320

1 009 268

918 309

1411

l<'or resettlement

101 077

Total

2 865 320

1 110 345

918 309

1411 (u.a.)

Community assistance for redundant workers from the Italian sulphur mines2

total-ling 80 064 u.a. was paid to the Italian Government in 1975.

26. Finally, for 1976 the European Social Fund has a budget of 440 million u.a., of which 170 million u.a. have been allocated for assistance under Article 4 and 270 million u.a. for assistance under Article 5. Following consideration by Parlia-ment, then, an additional 40 million u.a. for Article 5 was added to the Council's

1 OJ L 149 of 10.11.1971.

2 OJ 246 of 31.12.1966; Social Report 1974, point 20.

[image:18.450.54.413.267.420.2]

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draft budget, with 20 million each to Articles 4 and 5. There are also 1 million u.a. for studies or pilot schemes.

Readaptation of workers in the ECSC industries

27. Changes on the energy market resulted in a considerable fall during 1975 in applications for assistance for coalminers losing their jobs as a result of the closure of the undertaking where they were ·employed. The readaptation agreements were not changed except in Belgium, where the period of aid was extended by two months, specifically to take into account the fact that the decrease in the number of mines makes the re-employment of miners increasingly difficult.

TABLE 3

Readaptation of workers (ECSC credits)

Coal Industry Iron and steel industry _{and iron-ore mining} Total

Country

Appropriations

I

_Workers

Approp~iations

I

_Workers Appropriations

I

_\:Yorkers

(u.a.) (u.a.) (u.a.)

Belgium 1 757 191.13 2 157 822 077.72 2 329 2 579 268.85 4 486

FR of Germany 5 401 440.49 5 563 156 532.4 162 5 557 972.92 5 725

France 1 119 681.55 429 92 807.80 - 1 212 489.35 429

Netherlands - - 208 639.46 331 208 639.46 331

United Kingdom 8 367 323.77 2 357 2 141 965.0 3 307 10 509 288.78 5 664

-Total 16 645 636.94 10 506 3 422 022.42 6 129 20 067 659.36 16 635

Free movement of workers

28. The Commission proceeded with its scheme to develop the clearance of employment supply and demand at Community level in order to facilitate the placement of Community workers; together with national authorities, the Commission hils determined the level (local, regional or national) at which information on employment wi~l be transcribed under the European internati?nal vacancy clearance system (SEDOC); the Commission has also organized, together with

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the Member States, ten seminars for the training of national users of the SEDOC system, using the audiovisual programme prepared in 1974.1

The need for better information about the use of non-national labour has led the Commission to concern itself with the problems connected with temporary work and illegal immigration. As regards temporary work, the Commission facilitated cooperation between the Member States' employment services in order to ensure improved protection for foreign workers sent by temporary employment agencies to another Member State. As regards the efforts to combat illegal immigration, the Commission consulted the Standing Committee on Employment and the Advisory Committee on Freedom of Movement for workers concerning relevant measures to be adopted at Community level.

In addition, the Commission sponsored a further experimental exchange of Italian and German civil servants working in employment offices and has decided to extend this scheme to cover Belgium. Finally, the Commission has given considerable support to the efforts of the Member States in the field of information on living and working conditions.

At its meeting on 18 December 1975, the Council adopted a Regulation, proposed2

by the Commission, amending Regulation (EEC) No 16:12/68 on the free movement of workers, by extending equality of treatment in the exercise of trade union rights to cover admission to leading positions in trade union organizations. In three judgments the Court of Justice ruled, on the one hand, that measures based on public policy were not to be detrimental to the exercise of trade union rights and that a worker who was a national of a Member State could not be expelled as an example to other foreigners; and on the other hand the Court ruled that reduced-price tickets on public transport granted to large families constituted a social advantage within the meaning of Article 7 of Regulation (EEC) No 1612/68 on the free movement of workers.3

Vocational training

29. On 10 February the Council adopted the Regulation establishing a European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training;t its Management Board met for the first time in October and its Director was appointed in December. The

1 _{Social Report 1975, point 25.}

2 _{OJ C 221 of 27.9.1975; Bull. EC 9-1975, point 2207.}

3 _{Point 50.}

4 Social Report 1974, point 27; OJ L. 39 of 13.2.1975; Regulation (EEC) No 337/75 of 10.2.1975; Bull. EC 12-1974, point 1304.

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Commission's main concerns are firstly to help the centre to start work and secondly to give a new impetus to operations promoting the vocational guidance and training of women. To this end, it organized in November a European Seminar on vocational guidance and training for women workers, which made it easier to determine requirements. Furthermore, as a result of increased unemployment among young people the first exchange programme for young workers1 _{has been}

extended to include fishermen, agricultural cooperatives and farmers' friendly societies. A second programme will be placed before the Council in 1976. Cooperation between Member States and the Commission in the matter of vocational guidance was strengthened, and a seminar was organized in Denmark in October.

The Advisory Committee for Vocational Training met in April and September. Lastly, a working party began to draw up a report on vocational guidance, while another working party was set up to examine questions relating to apprenticeship.

Living and working conditions

30. On 26 May 1975 the Council formally adopted a Regulation on the creation of a European Foundation for the improvement of living and working conditions, with its seat in Ireland. 2 _{In addition, the Commission has prepared a Communication}

to the Council on the humanization of work.

Social security, the European Social Budget and the fight against poverty

31. In the field of social security new measures were introduced to implement the Social Action Programme.

The harmonization of social protection policies, in particular of social security policies, was discus~ed initially at meetings of experts.

The Commission has made a proposal to extend social security schemes to persons not already covered, another step called for by the Social Action Programme.

vVork also continued on the 'dynamization' of social security benefits, that is, their adaptation to the increase in prosperity in the Member States. A summary of the sit\laJion in the Member States has been drawn up, and also a memorandum of point"~·fC!~

1

~~n,si~erat~on, with a view to preparation of a proposal, afterconsula-tion of go~:errnrient_al_ experts and the two sides of industry (the former have already

been consulted). -·. . .

1 OJ 78 of 22.5.1964.

2 Social Report 1974, point 16; Bull. EC 12-1974, point 1305; BulL EC 5-1975, point 2212;

OJ L 139 of 30.5.1975 (Regulation (EEC) No 1365/75).

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As regards the differences in treatment between men and women in social security matters, a summary of the situation in the various Member States has been drawn up on the basis of a questionnaire, in order to enable consultations to be held with the Government experts and the two sides of industry for the purpose of preparing a proposal regulating the scope and the methods of application of the directive on equality of treatment between men and women in these matters.

The study on the advisability and possibility of Community assistance in the field of unemployment benefits was carried out during 1975 and has now been completed.

The tirst European Social Budget, 1970-75, submitted to the Council in December 1974, was examined in March 1975. Since recent economic developments made the forecasts included in this first budget in part obsolete, the Commission, at the request of the Council, proceeded to revise the data with a view to possible publication of an up-to-date text. The Commission has also put a paper to the Council on the short- and medium-term aims of the European Social Budget as an instrument of information and decision-making, and guidelines for a second budget.

The Commission also put to the Council guidelines for the establishment of a permanent system of legal and statistical information on social security in agri-culttire.

In accordance with its Recommendations of 23 July 1962 and 20 July 19661 _the

Commission initiated an exchange of information on problems concerning com-pensation for certain occupational diseases, in particular deafness and hypacusia. A new form for declaring occupational diseases has been prepared. In addition, medical notes on the complaints listed in Annex II of the Community list have appeared and the whole Community list has been revised.

The realization of specific measures to combat poverty, the subject of the Council Decision of 22 July 1975,2 _{was marked by a programme containing twenty-three}

projects which was approved by the Commission in November.

Social security for migrant workers

32. In the framework of the action programme in favour of migrant workers3 _the

Commission first of all presented to the Council a proposal for a.Regulation relating to standardization of the paying of family benefits to workers the members of

1 _OJ₈₀_of_31.8.1962;_OJ₁₄₇_of_9.8.1966. 2 OJ L 199 of 30.7.1975.

3 _{Social Report 1974, points 30 and 31.}

SOCIAL REP. 1975

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whose family reside in a Member State other than the country of employment! (this was considered by theCouncil on 18 December, but no agreement was reached), and secondly has begun preparatory work on the establishment of an instrument for the coordination of social security schemes for self-employed workers. The Commission has also sent the Council a proposal for adaptation of Community rules to take account of changes in national laws, particularly in the United Kingdom.1 _{Agreement has not yet been reached in the negotiations on}

coordina-tion of social security schemes applying to workers from certain non-member countries working in the Community.2

The Advisory Committee on Social Security for Migrant Workers has initiated an exchange of views on various proposals for improving the Community rules.

The interpretation and the application of the rules have been the subject of six decisions of the Administrative Committee on Social Security for Migrant Workers,3

and the Court of Justice has delivered several judgments4 _{in cases in which}

pre-liminary rulings were requested. Lastly, handbooks are being prepared for the purpose of informing migrant workers of their rights.

Activities on behalf of migrant workers and their families

33. The action programme on behalf of migrant workers and their families sub-mitted by the Commission to the Council• was the subject, after favourable opinions from Parliament and from the Economic and Social Committee, of a Council Resolution adopted on 18 December. The Commission has already submitted to the Council proposals concerning measures advocated in this programme. In addition, the Commission has contributed to the conducting of an inquiry into the situation of immigrant women and children in Belgium and given assistance to seminars and conferences on the problems of migrant workers organized by independent bodies. Furthermore, a film on the position of migrant workers in the Community has been produced in collaboration with the Westdeutsche Rundfunk.

1 OJ C 96 of 29.4.1975.

2 _{Social Report 1974, points 30 and 31.} 3 _{OJ C 88}_of_{19.4.1975; OJ C 150}_of_5.7.1975. 4 _{Point 50.·}

5 _{Bull. EC 12-1974, point 2217.}

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Housing

34. The financing of the construction, the modernization and, on an exceptional basis, the acquisition of old low-cost housing for workers in the ECSC industries continued as the second instalment of the seventh scheme was completed and the eighth begun. The overall amount of the second instalment of the seventh scheme (20 000 000 u.a.) is now fully committed. Construction projects, relating to a total of some 9 219 dwellings selected in accordance with the priorities laid down by the Commission, have been approved in the course· of the year, including two model projects on a large scale to promote the integration of migrant workers, and a total amount equivalent to 12 322 281 u.a. has been transferred.

In addition, the Commission, after discussions with the competent national bodies and with trade organizations, has begun to allocate the credits (25 000 000 u.a.) earmarked for the first instalment of the eighth scheme, and the first loan contracts have already been signed. The two tables below present a synthesis of the total achievements of the ECSC housing programme.

TABLE 4

Financing of the eight normal and three experimental ECSC low-cost housing schemes (situation at 31 December 1975)

Commission funds

Additional _{Total aid} Other Country

I

funds1 _sources

Own Borrowed

resources funds

Belgium 6.62 22.95 2.30 31.87 41.63

Denmark 1.00 - 0.67 1.67 3.93

FR of Germany 68.89 13.24 147.36 229.49 985.51

France 34.91 0.43 14.66 50.00 205.05

Ireland 0.50 - 0.82 1.32 0.46

Italy 11.70 8.36 11.18 31.24 30.76

Luxembourg 3.05 1.70 2.43 7.18 9.98

Netherlands 7.23 2.14 7.30 16.67 32.98

United Kingdom 4.00 - - 4.00 5.28

Total 137.90 48.82 186.72 373.44 1 315.58

1 _{Inclucling additional funds made available}_by_the_Commassion.

(million u.a.)

Total cost of

construction

and

modernization

73.50

5.60

1 215.00

255.05

1.78

62.00

17.16

49.65

9.28

1 689.02

[image:24.454.47.407.291.552.2]

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TABLE 5

Work on the eight normal and three experimental ECSC low-cost housing schemes (situation at 31 December 1975)

Number of dwellings financed

Country

I

Under construction

I

In preparation Completed Total

Belgium 237 32 7 203 7 472

Denmark 32 21 73 126

FR of Germany 807 1 564 85 247 87 618

France 1 853 1 001 24 573 27 427

Ireland 34 57 48 139

Italy - 400 6 175 6 575

Luxembourg 18 5 972 995

Netherlands 418 72 4 839 5 329

United Kingdom 61 - 6 466 6 527

Total 3 460 3 152 135 596 142 208

On 11 August the Commission transmitted to the Council a communication on the elimination of architectural obstacles to the mobility of handicapped persons. This communication set out the minimum norms required of dwellings for handicapped persons and lists a number of pilot schemes undertaken in the Member States and suitable for financial support from the Commission.

Social services and family matters

35. The Commission has consulted Government representatives and experts belonging to private organizations concerning present requirements in the field of social services for migrant workers and their families, for the purpose of drawing up proposals under the Social Action Programme. The Commission organized a European seminar for social workers at Oxford which dealt with problems of migrant women and with the frequently observed phenomenon of the gap which develops between migrant workers and their children.

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In its memorandum to the Council on equality of treatment of male and female workers the Commission laid down certain guidelines on measures to be introduced to help workers with family responsibilities, particularly as regards child-care facilities. With the help of experts the Commission has made a study of the cost and methods of financing day nurseries in the Member States. In addition, the Com-mission took part in the fourteenth conference of European Ministers responsible for family affairs, the main theme of which was: 'The equality of man and woman: its implications for family life and governmental action in this field'.

Wages and terms of employment

36. The proposal for a Council Directive on the principle of equal pay for men and women was formally adopted by the Council on 10 February 1975.1

In accordance with the task assigned to it by the Council the Commission finished drawing up a report on 'Methods of encouraging asset formation among workers'. This document will be forwarded to the Council, accompanied by the Commission's initial conclusions from discussions, which have now been completed, with Govern-ment experts and the two sides of industry.

The Commission brought up to date the comparative tables on working hours (time worked per day and per week, annual holidays, paid public holidays) in the Com-munity industries. In addition, the study on educational leave (leave for training pJirposes) in the nine Member States has been completed and has formed the subject of a general report.

Labour law-Industrial relations

37. The European employers' and workers' organizations were consulted on the following matters: guidelines for a Community programme on safety, hygiene and health protection at the work place; employment forecasts; the research pro-gramme on the employment market; the coordination of social protection policies; the proposals <;m the implementation of specific aspects of the programme to help migrant workers.

The Commission has forwarded to the Council the final proposal for a directive on the retention of rights and privileges by workers in the event of mergers, transfers and amalgamations of undertakings2 _{and has prepared the final proposal for a regulation}

1 Social Report 1974, point 32; OJ L 45 of 19.2.1975.

z Social Report 1974, point 34.

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on the provisions concerning conflicts of law in Community industrial relations.1

The two proposals take into consideration to a large extent the amendments pro-posed by the Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee.

Furthermore, in response to the task assigned to it by the Council, the Commission has forwarded to the latter a third report on the possibilities of, and difficulties involved in, ratification by the Member States of an initial list of agreements con-cluded within other international organizations. This report reflects the situation on 31 December 1974. The Commission has also completed a report to the Council on the problems of individual dismissal.l This report contains a comparison of the existing provisions and guidelines for creating a Community instrument.

Acting on a Commission proposal, the Council adopted, on 23 July 1975, a recom-mendation to the Member States on the application as from 31 December 1978 of the principle of the 40-hour week and four weeks annual paid holiday.2 _However,

the Commission regrets that the proposed dates of application (end of 1975 for the 40-hour week and- end of 1976 for the four weeks holiday) were not adopted by the Council. It also regrets the introduction of derogatory clauses.

In order to help the European trade union organizations to set up a European Trade Union Institute, the Commission has forwarded a preliminary draft study to these organizations.

The Commission organized meetings with the two sides of industry, particularly in the textile and clothing industries. Such 'sectoral meetings' should not be con-fused with the Commission's efforts to set up sectoral joint committees3 _{to encourage}

the active participation of both sides of industry in the decision-making process. The Social Action Programme provides for a large number of actions which, because of their specific nature, can only be carried out by means of sectoral coordination at European level. Alongside the results already published,4 _{the following should be}

pointed out: the adoption of a statute for the mixed Committee on Coal, 6 _{the filing}

of detailed opinions on the standards to be adopted with the regard to safety and comfort in sleeper cabs for road transport, and supervision and sanctions to ensure the application of the Regulation on the harmonization of working conditions in inland navigation. With regard to sea fishing and agricultural workers, the action of the Committees has mainly been concerned with improving safety, training, and

1 _{Social Report 1973. point 28.}

2 _{OJ L 199 of 30.7.1975 and Bull. EC No 7/8-1975, point 2232.} 3 _{Social Report 1973, point 27, and Social Report 1974, point 36.}

4 Bull. EC 2-1975, points 2216, 2217; 3-1975, point 2222; 4-1975, points 2222, 2223; 5-1975, points 2214, 2225; 6-1975, points 2222 to 2224; 9-1975, point 2217.

s OJ L 329 of 23.12.1975.

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32 B - OUTLINE SURVEY ·

the definition of a social programme. Investigations have begun or continued in the sectors of air and sea transport, energy, construction, metallurgy, cinema, food, hides, etc., with a view to setting up new committees.

Health protection

Radiation protection

38. The protection of workers and the public against radioactivity hazards is still a major object of the Commission's concern. Thanks to the powers conferred on it by the Euratom Treaty (Articles 2 and 30 to 39), the Commission has been able to implement a common health policy which is generally regarded as effective. In recent years radiation protection has increased in importance and topicality, mainly as a result of growing public awareness of the development of nuclear energy as a means of producing electricity and of its possible effects on human health and the environ-ment. The four main features of radiation protection measures are still the Com-munity rules, supervision of compliance with protection standards, the prevention of radioactive contamination of the environment, and the research programme on radiobiology and radiation protection. These four lines of action have developed alongside one another for nearly eighteen years with beneficial results.

39. The review of standards will be completed in 1976 after a procedure which is long and complicated because of the importance of consulting the many interested parties (Economic and Social Committee, Parliament, Council). Parallel to these obligatory consultations, the Commission has organized discussions with those responsible for radiation protection in the principal nuclear installations in the Member States, and has held a training and information seminar for trade union representatives. One of the main points of this review concerns the principles on which the monitoring of exposure risks to the public will henceforth be based; the proposed procedure directly involves the Commission and the competent authorities in a more realistic but safer approach towards an assessment, the conclusions of which are decisive in the choice of sites and the restrictions which may be imposed on nuclear installations.

40. The special questions connected with the use of irradiation in medicine have been discussed in meetings of experts and consultants. In its concern about the increased proportion of medical irradiations in the population dose, the Com-mission has drawn up a draft recommendation asking the Member States to take the necessary measures to limit the exposure of sick persons for diagnostic and thera-peutic purposes. The basic standards provide that exposures and the number of·

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persons exposed should be as few as is reasonably possible; both in the industrial sector and in the medical sector the 'best possible' protection should be given according to harmonized concepts and rules. Similarly, the problems ofradiation protection raised by the widespread availability and the increased use of ordinary consumer goods containing radioactive substances were dealt with in a scientific seminar held in .Luxembourg in November 1975 with a view to curbing the proportion of this type of

human irradiation in the population dose.

41. Compliance with the radiation protection standards is currently satisfactory in the Member States, since occupational irradiation is still on average considerably below permissible levels and the exposure of the public is negligible in relation to the established limits. Nevertheless, the Commission believes that, if this level of pro-tection is to be maintained, efforts will have to be made in particular in the field of studies and coordination. The precise radiological impact of the new nuclear power stations on man and the environment is not yet known. The present situation is riot disquieting, but the nuclear expansion planned for the next few years obliges the Commission to conduct adequate research to ensure that this expansion will not involve unacceptable radioactive contamination and thermal pollution in international waterways, such as the Meuse or the Rhine, and on the shores of the North Se·a or the Mediterranean. Long and difficult expert appraisals will be required, the exploratory stages of which have already begun and which should soon lead to important research programmes to be conducted in cooperation with specifllized institutions· and competent authorities in the Member States. The experience acquired has been useful in launching these studies, but the magnitude of the new problems posed by nuclear.expansion will call for an increase in specialized personnel' and means, without which an underaking of this kind may well fail.

42. During the financial year which has just ended, the waste discharge schedules of three nuclear plants (Hinkley B, UK; Hunterston B, UK; Brunsbtittel, D) have been sent to the Commission for examination. Also in connection with the nuclear expansion programme, special attention has been given to mapping the natural radioactivity levels of the various regions of the Europe of the Nine and to the diffusion of radioactive gas in the atmosphere over medium and long distances.

Health aspects of the environment

43: Activities aimed at assessing the risks caused by pollution in the environment involve measurement of the dose/effect relation, i.e., the quantitative assessmenl of the effects on man of his exposure to environmental pollutants. The method used is now well established, and thanks to the efforts made by the Commission

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in the last two years, with the aid of experts and national consultants, a common doctrine has been evolved at Community level concerning the method of determining these criteria and the role which they should play in drawing up health and ecological standards. It is hoped that this quantitative assessment will be made, whenever scientific data permit it, before acceptable limits for human contamination and environmental pollution are proposed, while such a procedure will not prevent. the establishment of temporary standards when the state of the environment or necessity demand it.

44. Various directives have been forwarded to the Council: biological standards for lead, air quality standards in regard to lead, and standards for drinking water. In addition, a revised list of the pollutants covered by the environment programme has been approved by the Council, as well as the procedure for exchanges of infor-mation between networks designed to monitor atmospheric pollution due to sulphur compounds and dust. One of the reasons why intercomparison of measurements is difficult, thus preventing the creation of a Community-wide 'pollution map' is the fact that sampling and measuring techniques are insufficiently harmonized at present.

Several programmes of comparison linking up numerous laboratories have been carried out; important results have been obtained with regard to the measurement of lead levels in the blood, chemical and bacteriological analyses of water intended for human consumption, and biological methods of assessing the quality of surface water.

Two other scientific meetings led to important conclusions concerning research into relationships between the hardness of drinking water and public health and the laying down of ecological criteria on hydro biocenoses. The proceedings of the international symposium held with the WHO and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in June 1974 have been published and have aroused great interest in scientific circles.

Handicapped persons

45. The Commission has begun to implement the action programme on the occupa-tional rehabilitation of handicapped persons by granting aid from the Social Fund for a first series of pilot schemes and by choosing rehabilitation centres and bodies which will help to devise and teach the new methods. A group of experts has laid down construction rules which could be applied to new housing in order to meet the needs of handicapped persons.1 _{Reports describing the situation of rehabilitation}

1 Point 34.

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SOCIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMUNITIES IN 1971> 35

in the membe~ countries, drafted at the request of the Council, have been completed ~nd are now available.

Safety, hygiene and health protection at work

46. The Advisory Committee on Safety, hygiene and health protection at work held its inaugural meeting in June and undertook work in the spheres of legislation, research and the participation of both sides of industry in prevention tasks, in accordance with the 'guidelines for a Community programme' adopted by the Com-mission in April.

On 2 and 3 July 350 persons took part in the discussion of the results of the ECSC research on chronic respiratory ailments and in an exchange of views on the current problems of industrial medicine in the iron and steel industry and in the coal-mining industry.

The ECSC social research policy is now in its twentieth year. Research appropriations granted in 1975 amounted to 5.3 million u.a.; they were mainly granted for research into ergonomics, the fight against pollution in the iron and steel industry, health a:t work and safety at work in mines. The Commission, with the help of both sides of industry, has drawn up new guidelines for social research to be applied during the period 1975-80.

A proposal for a directive on safety signs in places of work will shortly be forwarded to the Council. Collective training periods dealing with certain problems of industrial safety and industrial medicine were organized in October and November for 162 fac-tory inspection officials.

Steel Industry Safety and Health Commission

47.

The Commission, which was set up in 1965, reached its tenth anniversary on 12 and 13 June 1975. It has approved two reports on 'Safety in tapping pig-iron blast furnaces' and 'Help and rescue', and it has also adopted the conclusions of a study entitled 'Exhaustive examination of all accidents for the purpose of avoiding those which cause injuries'.